Raiders frustrated over letting one get away

The Raiders locker room was a pretty empty place Monday during the media availability period the day after a 38-31 loss to the Jacksonvillle Jaguars, with the general feeling being similar to that of the fisherman’s lament of the one that got away.

“We knew what we were playing for. We knew how important it was, and to have it end up the way it did where we have a nice lead most of the way throughout the game, and then they rallied at the end there,” Raiders tight end Zach Miller said. “We had our chances, and we couldn’t get it done.”

Said tight end Langston Walker: “I mean, we didn’t get killed out there. We were playing well and it just got away from us. I think if we would have had five more minutes it would have been a different story.”

The Raiders task is clear. Win three games to finish 9-7, including a Week 17 win over Kansas City. Meanwhile, the Chargers (7-6) must lose again (they play the 49ers in San Diego Thursday night, then finish with Cincinnati and Denver) and Kansas City must fall at least once in its next two games at St. Louis and at Arrowhead Stadium against Tennessee.

Oakland would hold all tiebreaker advantages in a tie because of a perfect AFC West record.

The loss was only the second in franchise history in a game in which the Raiders scored 30 or more points and 475 or more yards, the first one coming in a 40-34 loss to San Diego on Sept. 22, 1996 when Oakland gained 556 yards.

Oakland had a 30-plus, 475-plus game since 2002 and now have three in their last seven games.

“I knew we were doing pretty well because of the points that were up on the board, but I didn’t know exactly how well we were doing until I looked at stats,” Walker said. “I didn’t really realize how many yards McFadden had. I didn’t know about Jason being perfect (158.3 passer rating) in the first half.

“I guess I’m saying that’s sort of become expected that that’s just the way we are. We put points on the board. We score in the red zone. We build up the stats of the skill players. Unfortunately, we lost.”

NOTES

– Safety Hiram Eugene said the Raiders deployed their all safety defense for the first time time last week during practice. In the alignment, cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Stanford Routt are both off the field while Stevie Brown, Mike Mitchell, Hiram Eugene, Michael Huff and Tyvon Branch are all on the field at the same time.

Huff, playing as a cornerback, was beaten for a 48-yard touchdown pass by Jason Hill while in that aligmnent. The Raiders went to that alignment when Jacksonville lined up in with two tight ends and a single back. It was an unusual formation considering the second-and-18 down and distance, but Eugene said the Raiders shouldn’t have been surprised.

“We’d watched enough film to know they like to take a shot in that aligment now and then,” Eugene said. “We just didn’t cover it well enough.”

– The NFL announced the Week 16 Sunday night game will be Minnesota at Philadelphia, replacing San Diego at Cincinnati. Any chance the Raiders had of having their Week 16 game against Indianapolis flexed to a Sunday night game evaporated with the loss to Jacksonville.

As it stands, if the Colts were to lose to Jacksonville and the Raiders fall to Denver, both teams would be out of the playoff race.

– Defensive end Trevor Scott made his into the locker room moving very slowly but without crutches or a cane. Scott had season-ending ACL surgery. He declined comment.

More to come after coach Tom Cable’s press briefing at 2 p.m. . . .

Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer

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Well it’s the day after and the opinions on yesterday’s game are running the gammut from fire everyone to keep everyone. I’m of the opinion that hey we had a chance to win yesterday but a couple of breakdowns and mistakes here and there basically did us in. I thought we played well enough to win but our own mistakes cost us. We are a young team still learning how to play together and we are not perfect but damn fellas look where we came from. We were a pretty awful team for a long time and in one season we have made big strides to become pretty competitive. We’re not gonna win the Super Bowl overnight- these situations are gonna make us better and we will rise to the top again. I’ve been a RAIDER FAN for 30 plus years and I can see that we’re building something special here. A couple more players added in the off season and a renewed COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE along with some PRIDE AND POISE and we will be dominant once again. These are not just words fellas; they actually mean something to us RAIDER FANS.
GO RAIDERS!!!!!!!1

alex7

Mistic, and before Zorn was there?

What was JC’s excuse then?

What is it now?

Loses everywhere he goes in the NFL.

aig-raiders

Jason Campbell is a good looking dude who is a proven perenial LOSER! But keep trying to make him into hubby material though ladies.

alex7

Raidermarty, you seem to be a long-time fan.

Do you realize that playing man-to-man defense 90% of the time is a detriment to the run defense?

That it’s hard to defend the run when your CBs are running with their backs turned to the RB?

We’ve had bad run defenses for a decade now.

A super offense in 2002 is the only year we weren’t ranked in the bottom half.

No amount of pride and poise will help that basic philosophy flaw.

mistic1

# alex7 Says:
December 13th, 2010 at 2:25 pm

McRaider,

I see you didn’t answer the question.

What have you seen in Campbell’s 6 years as an NFL veteran QB to make you believe he can be “molded” into a winner?

Shoot, I’ll leave that question open to anyone.
========================================================

how about leading our team to a 3 game win streak. How about beating every division opponent we have played this year. Try leading an offense that is ninth in scoring, and winning blowouts and pulling out late game victories. oh throw in helping our young wides to the biggest games of there otherwise pedestrian careers.

I think there is plenty of evidence that suggest that hu jack campbell have something positive cooking, and should be kept together for another year.

i would say there is enough of a body of work

J Hill

I was annoyed

—————————————————–

I’m getting to you, huh?

Relax mayne, it’s just a blog.

Defending your opinion should not be stressful.

You wouldn’t mind looking at your claims on YouTube or anything would you? Review some “film” if you will?

alex7

Any pass that isn’t an end zone hail mary with 11 seconds left and no timeouts is a rookie mistake.

Our guy is almost 30.

DutchRaider77

I want to see Hue Jackson and Randy Hanson ambush Cable after practice and give him the business.

1) better than Russell, because he
2) usually plays it safe, but
3) makes some bad decisions, and
4) can’t be relied upon to win you games, and only
5) looks okay when the run game is going.

The problem is that there are few QBs available next year in free agency that would be much of an upgrade, so what we need to do is:

1) Get a blocking FB and commit to becoming a run orientated team….run, run, run and pass only when you need to;
2) concentrate on improving the o-line, specifically the RT, RG and C positions;
3) Continue to build the defense by adding better LBers and safeties that know how to take correct angle of pursuit;
4) wait to add a new QB unless someone drops into the second round that we can’t pass up (Locker?).

http://no_knuckleheads! 909RaiderLifer

I can see Cable, and Hue at the podium holding hands and singing ‘Kumbyea’ (sp?), during the presser today..

http://www.ibabuzz.com DirteeRaccoon

Dont take Ambien, Soma, Norco, and Zanaflex at the same time while yer drinkin 211! Just sayin.

Thec07

New post Ladies

Raiderbuck

Don’t forget the str of schedule, we have it pretty easy this year – if we didn’t we’d be right back at 11 plus loses this season.
I think we are a better team but we have a LONG way to go before we win those big games and get back into prime time.

raidermarty

Alex7 you may be right but philosophies aside I thought our d ran out of gas a little at the end yesterday and that’s when the breakdowns came. You know Al likes to win the one on one battles and he still wants to win the way we used to in the 70′s. I know that may be unrealistic given how much the NFL has evolved in the last 30-40 years,but wouldn’t it just be awesome to show the league we can still win OUR way? Dare to dream right?

RaiderDebo

Alex7 Says:
December 13th, 2010 at 1:52 pm
I guess some of you guys don’t understand QB play.

The receivers that Palmer has doesn’t matter. The receivers that JC has doesn’t matter (he was just as bad in Washington with legit WRs).

The O-Line and RBs are what would help Palmer here more than in Cincy.

DESPITE playing Pitt and Balt. twice each year, he’s put Cincy in the playoffs a few times, and put up monster numbers.

Palmer is like Kurt Warner. Great QB, had some rough years on shaky O-line teams (Warner with Giants a few years ago), was put on a better team with a better ground game, and he re-blossomed.

Palmer is twice the QB JC will ever be, as far as directing a team, pulling out wins, and getting WRs involved.

Look at the garbage receivers Manning and Rivers have thrown to this year. Palmer in Oakland would still elevate the passing offense here. Vertical shots. 3-wides where the QB can read the blitz. A real passer.
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

This is such bullschitt!! Quit making excuses for Palmer. The guy has been a failure in Cincy. Do you really think he was drafted #1 overall to make the playoffs TWICE in eight years with no playoff wins? And you think he’s the answer here? What a joke!

Raiderjambo

#8 Totally correct!
Memo to Langston and any other soft a**ed feel good teammate, when you’ve got your opponent down, stand on his throat, and please don’t let him get back up! If he is somehow able to get back up, then beat the carp out of him harder, so that he gets the message.

sirblitzalot

FIRE TOM CABLE!!!! CUT STANFORD ROUT!

DKnight007

– The NFL announced the Week 16 Sunday night game will be Minnesota at Philadelphia, replacing San Diego at Cincinnati. Any chance the Raiders had of having their Week 16 game against Indianapolis flexed to a Sunday night game evaporated with the loss to Jacksonville.

^^^^^^^^
WTF??

The NFL and their questionable decision making. Minnesota is DONE and the Raiders versus Indy game has playoff implications for both teams.

What a joke!

BoJackson

Last I checked Langston Walker is an offensive tackle. If that’s no longer the case and he has been moved to tight end then we have bigger problems than I thought.